Can Kellen Moore Fix THIS For Jalen Hurts?
First of all, I would like to credit Robert Mays (@robertmays on X) who hosts the Football Show on The Athletic for some fantastic analysis that depicts how bad things got for the Eagles offense last season. It will leave you wondering whether Brian Johnson was not ready for prime time as a coordinator OR if Jalen Hurts was figured out by opposing defensive coordinators. I’ll let the facts set up the discussion.
Jalen Hurts Was Blitzed On An Obscene Percentage Of His Snaps
What does that tell you? There was either little respect for Hurts’ ability to beat the blitz or the offensive play design under Brian Johnson was completely inept. The truth probably falls somewhere in the middle.
Hurts was blitzed on third down a ridiculous 44.6% of the time. Thats a crazy number. How crazy? The gap between Hurts and the number two quarterback in blitz percentage is the same as the gap between the number two quarterback and the 18th quarterback!
One thing is factual. They never were able to adjust to what opposing defenses were throwing at them and the blitz percentage was higher as the season went along. Opposing defensive coordinators saw things on tape and just doubled down on attacking Hurts, believing that was the most effective strategy to defeat them.
How Can Kellen Moore Help Fix This?
Thankfully, Kellen Moore has an excellent reputation for being at the top of his field in addressing handling the opposition blitz. For example, he has shown that with Dak Prescott in Dallas and with Justin Herbert in Los Angeles that his offenses are outstanding at picking up a blitz.
In 2022, Dak Prescott was number one against the blitz and in 2023 Justin Herbert was 6th against the blitz. In his seasons as an offensive coordinator, Moore’s offenses average out as Top 5 against the blitz.
There is enough data to show that his plan is usually highly successful against the blitz, so Jalen Hurts should have no excuses to thrive against it. He has a superior offensive line to both of Moore’s previous teams and arguably better offensive talent surrounding him.
So Many Things Will Be Revealed By The Kellen Moore Hire
If we see a reemergence of the talents of Jalen Hurts and he returns to MVP form then we will have received a complete referendum on how ineffective Brian Johnson was at developing an offensive scheme. If Hurts doesn’t thrive under Moore and his system, there will be many that justifiably will be wondering if Jalen has regressed.
Either way, Moore has the proven pedigree and it’s up to Hurts to deliver.
Here Is What I’m Expecting To Happen
Jalen Hurts will return to his previous MVP contender form. The Eagles will be a top-ten offense when facing the blitz. Kellen Moore will help the Eagles create a top-three scoring offense. Nick Sirianni will benefit from the addition of Moore and the Eagles will win the NFC East once again. Moore will be one of the top head coaching candidates this upcoming off-season.
The Eagles better cash in on this one-time chance to win with Kellen Moore in-house.
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Ranking all 17 Games on the Eagles Schedule in 2024
2 – Week 13 @ Ravens
Like I said, this is personal. I have a TON of family in Balitmore. There is also a big Lithuanian community in Baltimore. I need Philly to win this one. It is also a great quarterback battle and a late season matchup between two great teams which helps put this so high on the list.
3 – Week 8 @ Bengals
Eagles vs Bengals was my Super Bowl pick for last season. It won’t be my pick this year, but I do think the Bengals bounce back in 2024. Between the quarterback battle and my prediction that didn’t come to fruition last year, this was a game I was excited for when the opponents first came out.
